Improving Hoosiers health is focus of town hall meeting

According to national statistics, Indiana ranks 38th in the country in overall health, and a group of health professionals is traveling the state to raise that ranking.

Posted: Jul. 11, 2018 6:09 PM

Updated: Jul. 12, 2018 1:16 PM

Posted By: Jamie Long

TIPPECANOE CO. Ind. (WLFI) — According to national statistics, Indiana ranks 38th in the country in overall health, and a group of health professionals is traveling the state to raise that ranking.

The Alliance for a Healthier Indiana was in Tippecanoe County on Wednesday to host a town hall meeting. Indiana ranks towards the bottom for obesity, tobacco use, infant mortality and opioid abuse. Health professionals discussed not only how these factors affect families, but the economy and healthcare costs.

Kimberly McDoel of Lafayette learned children are casualties of their parent's situation. She says that's when local programs can step in and help.

"No matter what their surroundings are, if their families have unemployment or addiction problems or health problems," McDoel said." They can still maneuver through that."

McDoel said when she was a single mother of two, she was grateful for state programs which kept her family afloat until she could finish veterinary school.